Kodak
Serial Numbers. Making
a definitive statement about serial numbers over the course of Kodak history
is difficult. Most print histories of Kodak and most collectors' Web sites
omit this information. My experience collecting Kodak models manufactured
from the late 1930s to the 1960s is the basis for the comments that follow.

Only
the most expensive Kodak models included body serial numbers. Of domestic
fixed lens cameras I think only the Medalists included numbers stamped
on the film gate. Ektra bodies had serial numbers that matched numbers
stamped on the interchangeable film backs manufactured with the bodies,
because of the close tolerances required. Many of the cameras manufactured
in the Nagelwerke factory, including early Retinas, had serial numbers
stamped on the film gate.

Kodak
mounted lenses from several manufacturers through the late '30s. Presumably
some had their own numbering scheme and others may have accommodated Kodak's
wishes in numbering. Early upscale Kodak models had numbered lenses, though
I have not seen information about the numbering scheme and my personal
collection of 1930s models is not large enough to even hazard a guess
about how numbering was structured. My early Anastigmat Ektars have five
digit serial numbers.

About
1940, Kodak began creating alphanumeric serial numbers for most of its
better lenses--Ektars and Anastigmat Specials (later Anastars) that identified
the year of manufacture. This was in the general form 'LLNNN', where the
first two letters identified the year and the numbers were the serial
number. The following
the serial number indicates that the lens was 'Lumenized' or hard coated.
(more information)The
letters were assigned using a pneumonic-- 'CAMEROSITY' in the U. S. and
'CUMBERLAND' in Great Britain (and perhaps even a different pneumonic
in France):

Most
serial numbers are stamped on the ring that secures the front lens group
and identifies the lens type, length and maximum aperture. The serial
numbers for Ektra Ektars are stamped on that part of the the lens barrel
that fits into the camera mount.

How were
the serial numbers assigned? Sequential by year or sequential by lens
model? Given the relatively high serial numbers of some lenses, and that
Kodak probably wanted a unique number on each lens, it appears to me that
a single annual sequence was used. To have assigned numbers by model,
would have produced many duplicate numbers and made public use of these
as identifying numbers very confusing. If lens rings were produced in
a single shop, they likely would have been produced in batches. Perhaps,
if the shop were going to make 50 rings for 80mm WF Ektars, they took
the last number used and started their run from that point. If production
were more dispersed or done in parallel operations, perhaps they assigned
ranges of numbers based on projected production. In the page tracking
1940s serial numbers ,
note the close proxemity of number in many cases for lenses of the same
type and year.

If you are interested in when Kodak
began coating its lenses, I have a small project
to collect data based on manufacturing date.